Draft Breakdown » Eric Stonerhttp://draftbreakdown.com
Evaluate hundreds of NFL draft prospects in a fraction of the time using our custom prospect video clips. View unique content like video scouting reports and full passing charts as well as traditional mock drafts, player rankings and scouting reports. And it's all 100% free!Tue, 03 Mar 2015 18:16:53 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1.1The DraftBreakdown.com Podcast brings you NFL Draft insight and analysis from an experienced and seasoned perspective. The show will feature special guest interviews as well as a review of the news, notes and all things NFL and NFL Draft.Draft BreakdowncleanDraft Breakdownbryan.perez@draftbreakdown.combryan.perez@draftbreakdown.com (Draft Breakdown)DraftBreakdown.com NFL Draft PodcastDraft Breakdown » Eric Stonerhttp://draftbreakdown.com/wp-content/uploads/powerpress/micforDBpod.jpghttp://draftbreakdown.com
Eric Stoner’s Three Round Mockhttp://draftbreakdown.com/eric-stoners-three-round-mock/
http://draftbreakdown.com/eric-stoners-three-round-mock/#commentsFri, 22 Mar 2013 12:00:47 +0000http://draftbreakdown.com/?p=242084Pick Team Player Position School 1.1 Kansas City Luke Joeckel OT Texas A&M

Pick Team Player Position School
1.1 Kansas City Luke Joeckel OT Texas A&M

1.2 Jacksonville Geno Smith QB West Virginia

1.3 Oakland Dee Milliner CB Alabama

1.4 Philadelphia Star Loutilelei DL Utah

1.5 Detroit Eric Fisher OT Central Michigan

1.6 Cleveland Dion Jordan OLB Oregon

1.7 Arizona Lane Johnson OT Oklahoma

1.8 Buffalo Tavon Austin WR West Virginia

1.9 New York Jets Barkevious Mingo OLB LSU

1.10 Tennessee Sharrif Floyd DT Florida

1.11 San Diego Desmond Trufant CB Washington

1.12 Miami Sheldon Richardson DT Missouri

1.13 Tampa Bay Tyler Eifert TE Notre Dame

1.14 Carolina Xavier Rhodes CB Florida State

1.15 New Orleans Ezekiel Ansah OLB BYU

1.16 St. Louis DJ Fluker OT/OG Alabama

1.17 Pittsburgh Cordarelle Patterson WR Tennessee

1.18 Dallas Chance Warmack OG Alabama

1.19 New York Giants Tank Carradine DE Florida State

1.20 Chicago Arthur Brown LB Kansas State

1.21 Cincinatti John Cyprien S South Florida

1.22 St. Louis f/Was Sylvester Williams DT North Carolina

1.23 Minnesota Bjoern Werner DE Florida State

1.24 Indianapolis Jonathan Cooper OG North Carolina

1.25 Minnesota f/Sea Justin Hunter WR Tennessee

1.26 Green Bay Kenny Vacarro S Texas

1.27 Houston Markus Wheaton WR Oregon State

1.28 Denver Matt Elam S Florida

1.29 New England Jesse Williams DT Alabama

1.30 Atlanta Corey Lemonier DE Auburn

1.31 San Francisco Datone Jones DL UCLA

1.32 Baltimore Jamie Collins OLB Southern Miss

2.33 Jacksonville Terron Armstead OT Arkansas-Pine Bluff

2.34 San Francisco f/KC Deandre Hopkins WR Clemson

2.35 Philadelphia Jamar Taylor CB Boise State

2.36 Detroit Cornelius Washington DE Georgia

2.37 Cincinatti f/OAK Alex Okafor DE Texas

2.38 Arizona Jarvis Jones OLB Georgia

2.39 New York Jets EJ Manuel QB Florida State

2.40 Tennessee Travis Kelce TE Cincinatti

2.41 Buffalo Kevin Minter LB LSU

2.42 Miami Menelik Watson OT Florida State

2.43 Tampa Bay Leon McFadden CB San Diego State

2.44 Carolina Keenan Allen WR California

2.45 San Diego Larry Warford OG Kentucky

2.46 St. Louis Sio Moore LB Connecticut

2.47 Dallas Eric Reid S LSU

2.48 Pittsburgh Margus Hunt DE SMU

2.49 New York Giants Dallas Thomas OL Tennessee

2.50 Chicago Gavin Escobar TE San Diego State

2.51 Washington Johnathan Hankins DL Ohio State

2.52 Minnesota Mike Glennon QB North Carolina State

2.53 Cincinatti Johnathan Franklin RB UCLA

2.54 Miami f/Ind Kyle Long OL Oregon

2.55 Green Bay Kawann Short DT Purdue

2.56 Seattle Khaseem Greene LB Rutgers

2.57 Houston Manti Te’o LB Notre Dame

2.58 Denver Alec Ogletree LB Georgia

2.59 New England B.W. Webb CB William and Mary

2.60 Atlanta Robert Alford CB Southeastern Louisiana

2.61 San Francisco Phillip Thomas S Fresno State

2.62 Baltimore Da’Rick Rogers WR Tennessee Tech

3.63 Kansas City Ryan Nassib QB Syracuse

3.64 Jacksonville Tharold Simon CB LSU

3.65 Detroit Zaviar Gooden LB Missouri

3.66 Oakland Matt Barkley QB USC

3.67 Philadelphia John Jenkins DT Georgia

3.68 Cleveland Darius Slay CB Mississippi State

3.69 Arizona Eddie Lacy RB Alabama

3.70 Tennessee Justin Pugh OL Syracuse

3.71 Buffalo Quinton Patton WR Louisiana Tech

3.72 New York Jets DeVonte Holloman LB South Carolina

3.73 Tampa Bay Jordan Poyer CB Oregon State

3.74 San Francisco f/Car Christine Michael RB Texas A&M

3.75 New Orleans Brandon Williams DT Missouri Southern

3.76 San Diego Vance McDonald TE Rice

3.77 Miami Johnthan Banks CB Mississippi State

3.78 St. Louis DJ Swearinger S South Carolina

3.79 Pittsburgh Logan Ryan CB Rutgers

3.80 Dallas Nickell Robey CB USC

3.81 Miami f/Chi Damontre Moore DE Texas A&M

3.82 Minnesota Devin Taylor DE South Carolina

3.83 Cincinatti Tyler Wilson QB Arkansas

3.84 Washington Jordan Reed TE Florida

3.85 Indianapolis Trevardo Williams LB Connecticut

3.86 Seattle Lerentee McCray LB Florida

3.87 Green Bay Stedman Bailey WR West Virginia

3.88 New England Bacarri Rambo S Georgia

3.89 Atlanta Robert Woods WR USC

3.90 San Francisco Dion Sims TE Michigan State

3.91 Baltimore Shamarko Thomas S Syracuse

3.92 Houston (Comp) Zac Dysert QB Miami (OH)

3.93 Kansas City (Comp) TJ McDonald S USC

3.94 Tennessee (Comp) Barrett Jones OL Alabama

]]>http://draftbreakdown.com/eric-stoners-three-round-mock/feed/3Player Interview: Aaron Dobsonhttp://draftbreakdown.com/player-interview-aaron-dobson/
http://draftbreakdown.com/player-interview-aaron-dobson/#commentsThu, 21 Feb 2013 16:29:07 +0000http://draftbreakdown.com/?p=241757Joshua Gleason is going to be sharing his player interviews with us. His fourth one of this draft season is with Marshall wide receiver, Aaron Dobson.

The state of West Virginia currently only has two Division I programs. That also just happens to be the same amount of NFL players that were born in the state; the great Randy Moss of the San Francisco 49ers and Derek Hardman of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Born and raised in West Virginia, it’s also where Aaron Dobson has played all of his football. Attending Marshall University – a quick 45 minute drive from his hometown – Dobson plans on increasing that number of players playing in the NFL from his home state.

“It’s a blessing to have a chance to play in the NFL,” said Dobson. “I’m one of the few to make it out of West Virginia.”

Joshua Gleason is going to be sharing his player interviews with us. His fourth one of this draft season is with Marshall wide receiver, Aaron Dobson.

The state of West Virginia currently only has two Division I programs. That also just happens to be the same amount of NFL players that were born in the state; the great Randy Moss of the San Francisco 49ers and Derek Hardman of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Born and raised in West Virginia, it’s also where Aaron Dobson has played all of his football. Attending Marshall University – a quick 45 minute drive from his hometown – Dobson plans on increasing that number of players playing in the NFL from his home state.

“It’s a blessing to have a chance to play in the NFL,” said Dobson. “I’m one of the few to make it out of West Virginia.”

Despite being blessed with prototypical build and athleticism for a wide receiver, he was merely a 2-star recruit coming out of high school. Not only were the physical tools there, but so was the production, notching 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions as a senior in high school.

“It motivates me a lot,” Dobson said on being overlooked. “West Virginia is not that big of a football state. Not many recruits come out of West Virginia that often.”

Dobson was also able to gain further experience and exposure in high school, playing in the Under-19 World Championships, an experience he enjoyed for being able to play with other good high school players and meeting “people from different countries who are picking up on our sport.”

From there, Dobson went on to have an excellent career at Marshall. He finished with 165 receptions, 2,398 receiving yards, and 24 receiving touchdowns, numbers that are all top ten in the Marshall career ranks.

“It was a great time; Marshall was a great fit for me,” Dobson said. “I don’t regret going there at all. I’m still in the same position I wanted to be coming out of high school, with a chance to go to the NFL.”

Dobson listed graduating college first when asked about his favorite moments at Marshall, saying “it’s a great accomplishment.” One of his other memorable moments was one that many around the nation know Dobson for.

On November 26, 2011, Dobson made one of the greatest catches ever seen at the college football level against the East Carolina Pirates. While being blanketed by Pirates corner Derek Blacknall, Dobson went up for a jump ball with just one hand and managed to reel it in.

“It was just instinct,” said Dobson on what is known as “The Catch.” “The ball is in the air and I was just thinking go get the ball. It just kind of landed in my hand perfectly. It was all instincts.”

Gerard Parker, the current tight ends coach at Purdue and former wide receivers coach at Marshall, joked that he is always told that he should say they had some drill where they practiced that, but said “there (isn’t a) drill for the catch he made.”

“Everybody’s reaction was ‘wow, he got that ball,’” Parker said. “I honestly expect him to get jump balls, but not make reverse backhanded catches like that.”

Dobson’s abilities never ceased to amaze Parker.

“His expectations have been held to a level of greatness,” Parker commented. “He has always been a basketball type of guy. When I saw him his junior year, I was surprised how well he can sit down and got in and out of transition.”

Dobson was indeed a former basketball player in high school. According to Dobson, he considered playing college basketball and said “it was a tough decision.”

“As it came down to it, I just thought I would have a better chance of playing at the next level in football,” Dobson continued. “I think I made the best decision to this day.”

Dobson is certainly thankful for the game of basketball though and how it has helped him in football.

“It definitely helps,” said Dobson on being a former basketball player. “The skills in basketball transfer to the football field. Body control, going up and attacking the ball, it definitely transferred from being a basketball player.”

Dobson, whose favorite receivers were Jerry Rice and Larry Fitzgerald growing up, said he enjoys the position because he “gets to make plays.”

Unfortunately for Dobson though, he had to miss some time this past year with a knee injury.

“It was tough, definitely tough,” remarked Dobson. “It was the first time I didn’t dress out and come play. It was tough being on the sideline and not being able to help my team on the field. I had to be a leader off the field and keep people motivated him.”

Parker mentioned how not having Dobson altered the offense.

“It changed us a little bit,” said Parker. “It changed us from being able to take the top off and throw the ball down the field vertically. We missed the home run hitter.”

Despite being underrated coming out of high school and the injury this past season, Dobson always remains very positive.

Every day, Dobson sends out two tweets. One of them which says “Positive Thoughts… Positive Outcomes,” and the other, “Tgfad blessed,” which means “Thank God For Another Day.”

“Basically, just thinking positive about everything,” Dobson said on his outlook on life. “A lot of negative things happen in life so you can’t get down about it. I just try to stay positive and make something bad a positive. My parents always told me to stay positive and thank the Lord that I have another day on earth.”

Dobson’s family is a big motivator in his life and a main reason for pushing himself to reach his dream.

“Their really supportive of me,” Dobson said. “I love the game, I love competing, I love working hard. I just want to give back to them.”

Parker said that “AD is a good guy,” and commented on how he matured during his time at Marshall, learning the type of work needs to be put into being a great player.

Now Dobson is putting in more work in preparation for the NFL Draft. He attended the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, having a chance to compete with some of the top seniors in the country. Currently, he is training at the IMG Academy with other college football stars such as Sheldon Richardson, Robert Alford, Robert Lester, and fellow wide receiver prospect DeAndre Hopkins. Dobson has befriended other soon-to-be NFL stars while putting in work.

“It’s great being around guys that have the same dream as you,” said Dobson. “Being around guys like that makes you work harder. I’ve made a lot of good friends down here that I think will be friends for years to come.”

Each day, they are up bright and early for breakfast. Then, they have a couple classes, for things such as interview preparation and mental condition. After that, they proceed to do movement workouts, followed by positional workouts, and this all before lunch. After lunch, they hit the weight room, and then are done for the day.

The NFL is waiting just around the corner from Dobson, and it’s something that Parker believes he is ready for.

“If he stays healthy and gets in there with a good group of a wideouts, I think the sky’s the limit for him,” said Parker.

This upcoming weekend, Dobson will have the chance to continue to show NFL teams his abilities at the Scouting Combine.

According to Parker, there has been upwards of 90 scouts to visit Marshall in order to get a look at Dobson. The Combine still means a lot to Dobson though.

“It’s exciting,” said Dobson. “Only a certain amount of people get invited to the Combine. To be one of the 39 wide receivers to be invited is a blessing. You get to show the coaches and everybody that is watching what you can do and your abilities.”

After watching his former teammate Vinny Curry get drafted last year in the 2nd round to the Philadelphia Eagles, saying that he was “nervous like I was getting drafted,” Dobson is ready for his own big day.

“It’s something I’ve been dreaming of since I was seven years old,” said Dobson. “To actually be in a position to where it’s coming true, it’s exciting. I can’t even really put it into words. Just thanking the man above for keeping me healthy and giving me the chance to play football at the next level.”

All quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

Joshua Gleason is a graduate of Western Illinois University, in which he majored in Broadcasting and minored in Journalism. Joshua has worked in football as a television color commentator, basketball doing radio sideline reporting and color commentary, and baseball as a play-by-play announcer. In addition to broadcasting, Joshua is a journalist covering the NFL Draft and college basketball. He thoroughly enjoys the draft process and has been covering it since 2006. He can be reached on Twitter at @JGleas.

]]>http://draftbreakdown.com/player-interview-aaron-dobson/feed/0Player Interview: Branden Smithhttp://draftbreakdown.com/player-interview-branden-smith/
http://draftbreakdown.com/player-interview-branden-smith/#commentsThu, 14 Feb 2013 18:28:34 +0000http://draftbreakdown.com/?p=241630Joshua Gleason is going to be sharing his player interviews with us. His third one of this draft season is with Georgia prospect Branden Smith.

Branden Smith is a rare breed of college football player. Not only blessed with uncommon athletic ability, he was able to play on both sides of the ball for the Georgia Bulldogs, something very rare nowadays in college football.

During his recruiting, it had been reported that the Georgia coaching staff showed Smith tape of former All-American cornerback Champ Bailey during his time at Georgia when he played on both sides of the ball. It was still a surprise to Smith when he got the chance to play offense for the Bulldogs.

“My freshman year, I was really amazed to be playing as a freshman on both sides of the ball,” said Smith. “My first game against Oklahoma State, it was shocking. They said I (read more...)]]>

Joshua Gleason is going to be sharing his player interviews with us. His third one of this draft season is with Georgia prospect Branden Smith.

Branden Smith is a rare breed of college football player. Not only blessed with uncommon athletic ability, he was able to play on both sides of the ball for the Georgia Bulldogs, something very rare nowadays in college football.

During his recruiting, it had been reported that the Georgia coaching staff showed Smith tape of former All-American cornerback Champ Bailey during his time at Georgia when he played on both sides of the ball. It was still a surprise to Smith when he got the chance to play offense for the Bulldogs.

“My freshman year, I was really amazed to be playing as a freshman on both sides of the ball,” said Smith. “My first game against Oklahoma State, it was shocking. They said I was going to play both ways, but I didn’t really believe it. I had to see it for myself.”

In the first game of his career, on the road against Oklahoma State, Smith received four touches on the offensive side of the ball, totaling 14 yards. They were just scratching the surface of the type of talent Smith possessed, as teams such as South Carolina and New Mexico State would eventually discover.

Smith would go on to finish his career with 363 rushing yards, averaging over nine yards per carry, three rushing touchdowns, and four interceptions. Over the last five years, only 11 players total have reached at least 100 career rushing yards while recording multiple rushing touchdowns and interceptions, according to Marty Couvillon of cfbstats.com. Of those on that list, Smith is seventh in rushing yards and third in interceptions.

“It was exciting,” Smith said of being able to have a career on both sides of the ball. “It feels good to play on both sides and know you can dominate on both sides of the ball.”

Smith did say that there is more studying required, having to know both playbooks. It was an obstacle he was willing to overcome.

“Since I love the game, I worked hard to learn it,” Smith stated. “If a coach needed me to play offense, I was there. I was there to play any position that was needed. That’s the type of player I am.”

It’s hard to believe that Smith was once only a three-star recruit. That was all before he showed up to a combine in Atlanta and ran a 4.28 forty-yard dash. Nearly instantaneously, Smith was a five-star recruit, and was ranked as the second best cornerback by Scout.com in the 2008 class. He appreciated the hype, but still made sure to make the right decision for himself about where to attend school.

“I was very humble with the hype and took my time with the decision I made to go to Georgia,” said Smith.

Heading to Athens was a wise decision for Smith for more than just being able to show off his talents on both sides of the ball. While the Bulldogs struggled during Smith’s first two seasons, they won 22 of their last 26 games, including going to two SEC Championship games.

This past season, Smith was a part of a unit that was 18th in the nation in scoring defense, and eighth in pass defense. While Smith’s team-leading nine pass breakups were a big help, there was plenty of talent to go around. In the front seven, the Bulldogs had three potential first round picks in John Jenkins, Jarvis Jones, and Alec Ogletree, while boasting three other draftable prospects in the secondary in Sanders Commings, Bacarri Rambo, and Shawn Williams.

“It’s amazing playing with the talent we had,” Smith said emphatically. “We were one of the best defenses in the nation, and that comes with the coaches too. We just had that connection with each other. If one person messed up, another would be there to help out.”

Smith said the group grew together through hanging out off the field and studying together. While Smith said his career didn’t go quite the way he had planned, he said “things happen for a reason” and that he “wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.”

Going into his last game ever at Sanford Stadium, knowing his college career was coming to an end dawned on Smith.

“It was very emotional, knowing it was the last time I was going to be playing ‘Between the Hedges,’” Smith said. “I dreamed about playing college football and going onto the NFL, and everything just happened so fast. I didn’t really think my four years were going to go that fast.”

Smith said he realized it might be his “last time playing football,” but that’s something he didn’t have to worry about for long.

Smith was able to attend the East-West Shrine Game which is regarded as one of the top two postseason all-star games an NFL prospect can attend. In the game, Smith was able to intercept Western Michigan quarterback Alex Carder. He said it was a great chance to be “playing with some of the best players in college football from different conferences.”

“It taught us how we can work with each other,” said Smith. “Seeing how fast we can learn and how good we can work with another teammate we’ve only known for a week. It was a good opportunity for me to try and increase my draft stock.”

Currently training for the NFL Draft at XPE Sports in Boca Raton, Florida, Smith is working with some of the top prospects and instructors in the nation to try and further boost his stock. Other defensive prospects down at XPE are former teammate defensive tackle John Jenkins, UCLA defensive end Datone Jones, Miami cornerback Brandon McGee, former Miami safety Ray Ray Armstrong, North Carolina State cornerback David Amerson, and LSU middle linebacker Kevin Minter. While Smith is generally regarded as a third day draft pick, he realizes that is making the most of the situation.

“I’m not really a high ranked player right now and it motivates me even more to work harder than some of the higher ranked players,” said Smith. “I’m out here grinding everyday and working with the best players in college football.”

Working at XPE has been a fascinating time for Smith thus far because of the type of athletes he is working with, how they are each treated, and the type of work they are doing.

“They treat everybody the same,” commented Smith. “Whether you’re a big time player or not, they treat everybody as one. It’s a business. We’re working together but at the same time we’re pitted against each other. It’s all about who’s working the hardest, training the hardest, and who wants it more.”

Right now, Smith is currently running his forty in the 4.3 range. They haven’t been going full speed yet on other speed and agility drills such as the three-cone drill or 20-yard shuttle, because they are just trying to get their technique down at the moment, according to Smith. The main thing Smith said he is personally working on is to improve his weight while maintaining the same blazing speed he is known for.

Soon, Smith will have the chance to achieve a dream that began when he started playing football at the age of seven; suiting up in the NFL.

“I’m really excited,” Smith said. “Knowing I’m a step closer to that day, it’s exciting to me. I’ve been working hard all my life to get to the NFL. Most people dream to make it to the NFL, but not everybody can make it. It’s all about who wants it more. Doesn’t matter what round you get drafted in, it’s about who wants it the most. I want it a lot. That’s why I’m working hard and really motivated to grind 24/7.”

Watch out for Georgia’s Pro Day on March 14. It could be a day when Smith records one of the fastest forty times of the draft season.

All quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

]]>http://draftbreakdown.com/player-interview-branden-smith/feed/0Player Interview: Malliciah Goodmanhttp://draftbreakdown.com/player-interview-malliciah-goodman/
http://draftbreakdown.com/player-interview-malliciah-goodman/#commentsFri, 08 Feb 2013 23:46:41 +0000http://draftbreakdown.com/?p=241478Joshua Gleason is going to be sharing his player interviews with us. His second one of this draft season is with Clemson defensive end, Malliciah Goodman.

If you were to take a look at Malliciah Goodman, you would think he has been playing football his entire life and that it’s fitting he is one of the top defensive end prospects in the upcoming NFL Draft. However, Goodman is still relatively new to the game.

Goodman has only been playing football since the 8th grade. He hasn’t even played football for half of his life, only nine years on the field. Yet if everything goes right, he will probably be on the gridiron for the next nine years as well (at least), and now at the highest level.

“My mom didn’t let me play city league because she didn’t want me to get hurt,” said Goodman on why he didn’t get (read more...)]]>

Joshua Gleason is going to be sharing his player interviews with us. His second one of this draft season is with Clemson defensive end, Malliciah Goodman.

If you were to take a look at Malliciah Goodman, you would think he has been playing football his entire life and that it’s fitting he is one of the top defensive end prospects in the upcoming NFL Draft. However, Goodman is still relatively new to the game.

Goodman has only been playing football since the 8th grade. He hasn’t even played football for half of his life, only nine years on the field. Yet if everything goes right, he will probably be on the gridiron for the next nine years as well (at least), and now at the highest level.

“My mom didn’t let me play city league because she didn’t want me to get hurt,” said Goodman on why he didn’t get involved in football until a later age. After only playing football for that one year, he made the varsity team as a freshman in high school. “It’s been a fun journey,” Goodman finished.

From a football novice to potential top 100 draft pick, it certainly has been quite the adventure.

After leading all defensive linemen in snaps as a junior for the Clemson Tigers, Goodman was asked to take on even more responsibility this past season. Goodman was the only senior returning to the Clemson defensive line that lost four seniors – Andre Branch, Rennie Moore, Brandon Thompson, and Kourtnei Brown – from the year before. Not even a single other upperclassmen, as his fellow line mates were all sophomores and freshmen. That means Goodman had to step up not only on the field, but as a leader also.

“I had to take my knowledge of the games over the years and relay it to the other guys,” commented Goodman who also said he thought he did indeed step-up as a leader this past season.

The Clemson defense had to learn a brand new system this year. Brent Venables took over in his first season as Clemson’s defensive coordinator. Goodman had to fill a variety of roles, being a versatile defensive lineman who had to do it all, even kicking inside to defensive tackle in certain situations. Over the final four games of his Clemson career, he had five tackles for loss and three fumbles forced.

While saying he “always wants to finish with the highest numbers,” Goodman continued by saying the most important part of the year was learning the new defense, “getting it down pat and bringing the group of young people together.” Goodman’s leadership and unselfishness shined through when he said they need to “look at the big picture.” You only get four years to play college football, so it’s uncommon to find players who think about the future of the program in this way, putting others before themselves.

At the Senior Bowl, Goodman was joined by a few other Clemson teammates, including running back Andre Ellington and center Dalton Freeman. They were also joined by Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney along with a few other Clemson coaches.

“Great to see the support from him,” said Goodman on Swinney and the other coaches coming to visit them. “They have our back through all of this.”

Goodman got more than just a Clemson reunion down in Mobile, getting to go against some of the best players in the nation.

“There, everybody is good,” Goodman remarked. “There is a high level of competition and intensity throughout the practices.”

That is one thing Goodman did become accustomed to while at Clemson. This past year, the Tigers offense was 6th in the nation points per game, led by junior quarterback Tajh Boyd. In addition to Boyd and Ellington, the Tigers also had star wide receivers Sammy Watkins and DeAndre Hopkins.

Goodman broke down a bit of how practices would work in Death Valley. He said that the offense would run a play, hurry up and spot the ball, hurry up to the line, and hurry up and run another play. Goodman said that tempo of the offense helped the defense for communicating in that type of environment. He also had some kind words for his fellow Tigers on the other side of the ball.

“We think we had the best skill position players,” Goodman said. “Game should come natural because the competition in practice was so intense it translated over to the game. We were never shocked by anybody’s ability because of the speed we had on offense.”

Goodman enjoyed his time playing college football in his home state, saying “a lot of passion and preparation” was involved during his time as a Tiger.

It’s very rare to find a man the size of Goodman. He measured in at over 6-3, 272 lbs., at the Senior Bowl with nearly 11-inch hands and an 87 and ¾ inch wingspan, both the largest in Mobile, Alabama. Goodman doesn’t take this athletic ability for granted though.

“I just want to be the best,” Goodman said. “Go out there and do everything I’m capable of.”

Currently, Goodman is in Atlanta, Georgia, training at Competitive Edge Sports Performance (CES), the same facility that trains San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Ziggy Hood, and one of the best cornerbacks to ever play the game, Champ Bailey of the Denver Broncos. At CES, training for the Draft along with Goodman are a few South Carolina players such as defensive end Devin Taylor and wide receiver Ace Sanders, Auburn running back Onterio McCalebb, Missouri linebacker Zavier Gooden, and Syracuse offensive lineman Justin Pugh.

“It’s intense but overall we’re having fun and bonding,” said Goodman on the experience. “Everybody is getting work in. We want to get better as a group and help each other get better.”

They are up early each day, as they start their workouts at 8 a.m. and do a mixture of position work, speed work, and then lifting weights. Goodman has been limited in workouts early on though, not doing much position work due to a sprained ankle. However, that is healing and he should be starting that soon.

It should come as no surprise to those that have talked to Goodman that his favorite NFL player is the late Reggie White. Like White, Goodman is an imposing physical specimen on the field, but a well-mannered person off of it that politely says ‘yes sir’ or ‘no sir’ frequently. Goodman most idolizes the way White played the game though.

“The way he played was so physical, he was so passionate for the game and how you saw that in his game,” Goodman listed as his main reasons for liking White. “He dominated offensive lineman play-by-play, game-by-game.”

Goodman is trying to become the first one in his family to make a career out of his athletic ability. He might have to alter positions at the next level if he wants to achieve that dream, perhaps playing end in a 3-4 scheme, but that’s something Goodman says he can get use to.

“I’ll adapt to it,” chimed Goodman. “I don’t have any problem playing (that position). I can learn and develop it. Everything takes practice.”

While most fans are worried about the stocks of each prospect, that’s something Goodman isn’t worried about himself.

“I haven’t looked at much of it,” Goodman said. “Just keep working hard and trying to maximize my potential.”

Goodman looks forward to the chance to play in the NFL, and looks forward to getting back in the trenches.

“Competing with people and trying to be the best,” Goodman said on what motivates him. “I love football most of all.”

All quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

Joshua Gleason is a graduate of Western Illinois University, in which he majored in Broadcasting and minored in Journalism. Joshua has worked in football as a television color commentator, basketball doing radio sideline reporting and color commentary, and baseball as a play-by-play announcer. In addition to broadcasting, Joshua is a journalist covering the NFL Draft and college basketball. He thoroughly enjoys the draft process and has been covering it since 2006. He can be reached on Twitter at @JGleas.

]]>http://draftbreakdown.com/player-interview-malliciah-goodman/feed/0Player Interview: Duron Carterhttp://draftbreakdown.com/player-interview-duron-carter/
http://draftbreakdown.com/player-interview-duron-carter/#commentsTue, 29 Jan 2013 16:21:10 +0000http://draftbreakdown.com/?p=241293Joshua Gleason is going to be sharing his player interviews with us. His first one of this draft season is with wide receiver Duron Carter.

Duron Carter: Son of a Legend, His Fall from Grace, and How He Is Making Amends

Much has been made of the path of Duron Carter.

First, we all knew him as the son of NFL legend, future Hall of Famer, and Minnesota Vikings great Cris Carter. Next, his legend began to grow due to what he was doing on the field – part of a St. Thomas Aquinas team that won back-to-back state championships in large part due to the 14 touchdown catches Duron reeled in as a senior – and he became a top high school recruit. Duron chose to follow his Dad’s footprints and go play for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Joshua Gleason is going to be sharing his player interviews with us. His first one of this draft season is with wide receiver Duron Carter.

Duron Carter: Son of a Legend, His Fall from Grace, and How He Is Making Amends

Much has been made of the path of Duron Carter.

First, we all knew him as the son of NFL legend, future Hall of Famer, and Minnesota Vikings great Cris Carter. Next, his legend began to grow due to what he was doing on the field – part of a St. Thomas Aquinas team that won back-to-back state championships in large part due to the 14 touchdown catches Duron reeled in as a senior – and he became a top high school recruit. Duron chose to follow his Dad’s footprints and go play for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Next, as a freshman in 2009, he caught 13 receptions for 176 yards along with a touchdown against Indiana. However, that “next” could also be marked as his “finale” in his collegiate playing career, as he never played again at the FBS level.

Duron left Ohio State due to academic reasons after that season. He then attended Coffeyville Community College where he was able to ‘wow’ on the field once again, catching ten touchdown passes. From there, he transferred to Alabama but only lasted there for a year before heading to his final stop, Florida Atlantic. Duron tried to get on the field immediately for the Owls, petitioning for immediate eligibility, but the NCAA denied that.

Four years, four different schools, and now heading to the NFL with only a dozen and one catches to his name at the FBS level.

Duron has handled his situation and is trying to make it clear to NFL teams that he has learned from his experiences.

“Ohio State was my fault,” said Duron. “I had a lot of growing up to do. I feel like I handled that.”

Duron’s fall from grace as one of the top high school receivers in the nation to the point he is at today has altered the way he is as a person.

“Completely different,” Duron said about who he is as a person now compared to when he was a freshman at Ohio State. “I was the top receiver coming out and I had all the stats and highlights. It was a humbling experience.”

Now Duron is going to have to answer the similar questions from NFL teams about why he took the path that he did.

“Just has to be honest during the interview process,” said his father Cris. “Don’t make excuses. Be responsible.”

Duron doesn’t believe it will be difficult to be straightforward saying, “It won’t be hard at all, being truthful to the coaches and the NFL scouts.”

Now, Duron is working to make his childhood dream of being an NFL player come true.

Training at XPE Sports in Boca Raton, Florida, Duron is working hard each and every day under the tutelage of his father (an instructor there) and other draft prospects, including fellow wide receivers Keenan Allen of California, Stedman Bailey of West Virginia, Rodney Smith of Florida State, and Conner Vernon from Duke. Bailey and Smith both played their high school in Miami, Florida near Duron and know each other from their high school days. Duron said that it’s been fun being with them and that “it has been like a reunion for us.”

Their typical day of training begins at 9 a.m. each morning which consists of stretching and lifting. They head to the field in the afternoon to do on-field drills and don’t finish up with their day until later in the evening. Duron said this is “the hardest I’ve ever worked,” and that’s saying a lot coming from a former Nick Saban player.

“You have to be the best and that’s what he strives for,” said Duron on Saban.

Duron is impressing during his training. With his goal to get his forty yard dash time down to the low 4.4’s, he has ran a 4.49 while consistently running low 4.5’s. Duron has an 80-inch wingspan, which is longer than anybody measured in at the Senior Bowl last week. He also has a 35-inch vertical jump and a 10 feet, 4 inch broad jump, both quality marks.

Duron isn’t just impressing with his workout numbers. One source who has been to the workouts said that he has looked just as impressive as Keenan Allen, who is generally regarded as the top receiver in the draft and a first round lock. Duron makes “better acrobatic catches” than Allen, and if you look up some of the training on YouTube, you can see Duron making some incredible catches at times.

Naturally, Duron is also a student of the game. Being the son of an NFL legend, he has always been around the game and strived to be better at it. Cris said that his son “loves talking about the receiver position” to him and that he utilizes him and Allen in many of the demonstrations of how to run routes. Duron also takes great pride in something his father did well that he says is his greatest strength; catching the football.

“(Some receivers) get so caught up in speed and everything and forget about catching the ball,” said Duron. “I don’t drop anything.”

Duron is now trying to make-up for something he did drop though, a chance to be a star at an FBS program and missing out on playing the game he adores.

“Unexplainable,” Duron said about missing out on the opportunity to play in more collegiate games. “I don’t think anybody that plays football loves the game like I do. I love the experience.”

Duron hasn’t received an invitation to the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana, but is attending one of the regional combines in Houston, Texas. It will be a chance to show NFL teams what he has.

“I feel like I’m ready right now and moving forward,” said Duron. “I have to be confident in moving forward, be the best I can be in the NFL. The best I can do is play to the best of my abilities and teams will like me. All you need is one team.”

When asked what he wants his lasting impression to be for the NFL personnel he talks to, he said “a guy that we really want on our team.”

“I love playing football. It’s what I love to do.”

Joshua Gleason is a graduate of Western Illinois University, in which he majored in Broadcasting and minored in Journalism. Joshua has worked in football as a television color commentator, basketball doing radio sideline reporting and color commentary, and baseball as a play-by-play announcer. In addition to broadcasting, Joshua is a journalist covering the NFL Draft and college basketball. He thoroughly enjoys the draft process and has been covering it since 2006. He can be reached on Twitter at @JGleas.

]]>http://draftbreakdown.com/player-interview-duron-carter/feed/310 Bold NFL Draft Predictions (with Video)http://draftbreakdown.com/10-bold-nfl-draft-predictions-with-video/
http://draftbreakdown.com/10-bold-nfl-draft-predictions-with-video/#commentsSat, 08 Dec 2012 00:03:21 +0000http://draftbreakdown.com/?p=240279Ryan Lownes and I took to Twitter to discuss 10 bold NFL Draft predictions. Here’s are the tweets, along with some video cutups of the prospects we discussed.

1.) The #Eagles, with a new HC, bypass OL/DL talent in the 1st Rd, instead they bring a new franchise QB into the fold. #NFLDraftPredictions

Arthur Brown (younger brother of Eagles running back Bryce Brown) arrived at the University of Miami as one of the most heralded recruits in the country. He played outside linebacker for the Hurricanes’ scout team during his first year, but wasn’t comfortable there. In the last few weeks of the season, former Canes head coach Randy Shannon decided to move Brown from the outside to the middle, where it seemed the light clicked on – with Shannon noting the parallels of development between Brown and Shannon’s former pupil, Ray Lewis. However, a move to the middle wasn’t enough to help Brown crack Miami’s starting lineup at linebacker. After his sophomore season, he transferred to Kansas State (Brown is from Wichita, KS), and has since been one of (read more...)]]>

It’s up at Rotoworld. Different types of inside linebacker who both figure to be highly coveted come April.

Arthur Brown (younger brother of Eagles running back Bryce Brown) arrived at the University of Miami as one of the most heralded recruits in the country. He played outside linebacker for the Hurricanes’ scout team during his first year, but wasn’t comfortable there. In the last few weeks of the season, former Canes head coach Randy Shannon decided to move Brown from the outside to the middle, where it seemed the light clicked on – with Shannon noting the parallels of development between Brown and Shannon’s former pupil, Ray Lewis. However, a move to the middle wasn’t enough to help Brown crack Miami’s starting lineup at linebacker. After his sophomore season, he transferred to Kansas State (Brown is from Wichita, KS), and has since been one of the most destructive defensive forces in the entire country.

Alec Ogletree was a highly rated safety recruit coming out of high school. A Georgia native, he decided to stay in-state and become a Bulldog. At 6’3 and 235 pounds, Georgia’s defensive staff decided to move him from strong safety to inside linebacker in their 3-4 defense. As you’d expect for a former safety, he’s an excellent athlete, possessing sideline to sideline range and cover ability. Over the past two years, he has been one of the most productive players for an incredibly talented Georgia defense.

Both of these linebackers figure to be highly coveted come April’s NFL Draft. However, despite being athletic inside linebackers, they both offer teams very different things. Brown is a senior and has been playing linebacker his entire football life. From the way he reads his keys and diagnosis plays to his perfect form tackling shows the signs of a kid who has practiced his specific craft for many years and has been coached very well. Ogletree is an underclassman and a former safety, and it shows. He’s still working out the nuances of the position – going through the growing pains and transition accompanied with going from playing an open space position like safety to one played compressed spaces like linebacker.

Playing for undermanned Miami of Ohio, Zac Dysert‘s career has gone without much fanfare or notice. A four year year starter and three year captain for the Redhawks, Dysert will end his career by breaking virtually all of the school passing records set by former Miami quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

From what I’ve seen of Dysert so far, I feel comfortable saying that he’s got the best blend in this class of physical talent, throwing talent, and refined quarterback skills (the functional application of those talents). He’s very far along mechanically. His offense isn’t particularly sophisticated, but it does ask him to do a bunch of different things, and he’s getting a lot of work running West Coast Offense principles. He works under center and in the shotgun. There’s a good mix of drop back and rollout passes.

Playing for undermanned Miami of Ohio, Zac Dysert‘s career has gone without much fanfare or notice. A four year year starter and three year captain for the Redhawks, Dysert will end his career by breaking virtually all of the school passing records set by former Miami quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

From what I’ve seen of Dysert so far, I feel comfortable saying that he’s got the best blend in this class of physical talent, throwing talent, and refined quarterback skills (the functional application of those talents). He’s very far along mechanically. His offense isn’t particularly sophisticated, but it does ask him to do a bunch of different things, and he’s getting a lot of work running West Coast Offense principles. He works under center and in the shotgun. There’s a good mix of drop back and rollout passes.

For a four year starter, Dysert still looks a little rough around the edges, oftentimes getting ahead of himself and trying to do too much to overcome the talent differential between his team and the opponent. Bad drops and a poor running game make it difficult for the Redhawks to sustain offense consistently, but Dysert makes his fair share of spectacular plays along the way.